Candidate Background Information
Occupation: Educator
Education: DBA-Harvard Graduate School of Business, MBA-Harvard Graduate School of Business
Prior Experience: Dean-Marriott School of Management, BYU; President-Weber State University; President-Massachusetts Boston Mission
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Questions
The League of Women Voters has made every effort to present accurately the candidates' responses as they were submitted.
- If elected, what two things do you hope to accomplish as a member of the House of Representatives for the people of
Utah
?
A. In the 1990's Utah ranked very high among the 50 states for the level of effort for funding of public education. Between 1995-2004, Utah dropped from 5th place to 27th place in this area. We need to reverse this trend and increase our level of effort.
B. I would plan to join with other legislators to enact meaningful ethics reform in the legislature. Local newspapers have called for ethics reform repeatedly in this last year. I feel it must be a priority to restore the public's trust in the state legislators.
- How would you address the following issues? (Please answer each question in 200 words or less.)
- Adequate funding for education, including funding for disadvantaged populations such as non-English-speakers and prison inmates
Between 1995 and 2008, the portion of the state budget committed to public education has declined steadily. As a result Utah has the largest class sizes in the nation and ranks 45th in terms of teacher salaries. We must significantly increase funding for education to address these problems. Rather than increasing taxes, a more careful allocation of funds could achieve the goals without cutting other necessary budgets.
1. Make public education the top priority for legislative support. We cannot correct in one year the problems created over a number of years. But, in the next few years it is possible to significantly increase funding for public education. It will require discipline. In recent years the legislature has voted to spread its money around and spend state funds on questionable projects, such as the soccer stadium, a legislators' parking garage, etc., rather than funding areas of far greater importance to Utah's future.
2. Stop cutting taxes. The legislature has reduced taxes in 4 out of the past 5 years, money which was needed in education, as well as other areas of critical need. The legislators must be more responsible in tending to the critical needs of our state.
- Energy resource development and clean air
1. We need to carefully investigate all possible sources of energy. However, we should only develop sources that will not over-utilize our water resources or pollute our air. The state needs to encourage the development of renewable energy resources, including wind, geo-thermal and solar power.
2. I'm very concerned about clean air. I have a grandson with asthma. One week
in Utah Valley the air pollution was very high and it became difficult for him to breathe. He spent 4 days in the hospital to correct the situation and it took his parents 4 years to pay off the medical bills.
We need to focus on cleaning up the air all over the state. In Utah County, that
means speeding up the development of mass transit. Commuter rail is already
serving Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties, and is over-due in Utah County.
In addition, bus rapid transit will help us reduce all vehicular traffic on our
roads, thus cleaning up the air and reducing gasoline use in the valley.
- Water development and conservation
Conservation is a key element in the management of water in the state. In recent years the State Division of Water Resources has helped local communities and businesses to improve their water conservation. As a result, municipal and industrial usage of water has declined on a per capita basis. However, most of the water usage in Utah is for agricultural purposes. Improvements in the use of water for this purpose could greatly help Utah with its water problem.
One key to improving conservation is developing better information about water availability and use. Relatively small investments in this area would help the state to manage its water more effectively. As our state continues to grow in population and business development there are growing numbers of people that want to have a say about the development and usage of water. Legislators, and state and local officials need to work with citizens to generate plans to develop and conserve our water resources.
- Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
Communication is very important for all leaders, especially in public service. My 12 years as president of Weber State University taught me about effective communication. Two important things I learned which will help me serve better:
1. It is more important to listen than to talk. When I began at Weber State I spent a lot of time listening - I met with almost every one of the faculty and staff, one on one or in small groups. I met with representatives of the students. By taking careful notes during those meetings, I gathered information that helped me know how to better serve that community.
2. It is more effective to reach out to others, rather than wait for them to come to me. By going out and meeting as many representatives as possible from dozens of organizations in the area, I was able to hear valuable suggestions and ideas about what Weber State could do to meet the educational needs of the community.
These ideas will help me to communicate with the people of District 59 and represent them more effectively than has been the case in the recent past.
- If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
$60,000,000 public education (K-12)
$15,000,000 higher education
$10,000,000 mass transit
$5,000,000 CHIP - to increase coverage of needy children
$5,000,000 environmental initiatives focused on clean air and clean water
$5,000,000 Highway Patrol
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